Overview
Definition and Causes
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is excessive bleeding following childbirth that may cause maternal hemodynamic instability, organ dysfunction, or death.
NCLEX-RN
NCLEX-RN
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is excessive bleeding following childbirth that may cause maternal hemodynamic instability, organ dysfunction, or death. It is one of the leading causes of preventable maternal mortality worldwide. In Canada, the incidence between 2003 and 2010 was 5.6 per 100 deliveries, and international data from high-resource countries suggest the rate is closer to 10% when blood loss is actually measured. Hold one picture. At birth the placenta leaves a large wound on the uterine wall, fed by open maternal vessels. Blood loss stops only when the uterine muscle clamps those vessels shut and clotting seals them. Every cause of PPH is a failure of that repair, and every treatment either restores it or buys time for it. ### Definitions vary, and that is why numbers do not decide when you act Definitions vary among clinical guidelines. - Traditional definition: blood loss of at least 500 mL following vaginal birth, or at least 1000 mL following caesarean birth. - SOGC Guideline No. 431: this traditional definition is no longer sufficient, because visual estimates are inaccurate and many patients keep...
Unlock full lesson + practice questions
25 more sections with scenarios, priorities, and review drills.
Final rapid review before practice
Next study step
Finish the lesson first, then choose a focused activity to apply what you just reviewed.
Continue studying
Sign in to save progress on this lesson.
Unlock the interactive lesson quiz with a plan that includes this NCLEX-RN pathway. You can still explore topic-filtered questions from the bank hubs below.